Hobart itineraries
3 days on Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula
Prepare for encounters with devils, ghosts and rock stars – oh, and monster waves.
Day 1: Around Port Arthur
Head to the Port Arthur Historic Site, allowing a few hours to wander and explore the settlement.
Head down the road to Remarkable Cave – take in the view through the sea cave and then set out on foot for Crescent Bay.
Return for a well-earned whisky at McHenry Distillery.
Spend the night on the peninsula, where options include Stewarts Bay Lodge and one of Tasmania’s favourite campgrounds at Fortescue Bay.
Day 2: Around Port Arthur
Foreshore at Coal Mines Historic Site - © Tourism Tasmania & Kathryn Leahy
If it’s the weekend, start with breakfast at the Pickers Pantry Orchard Cafe and check out the artwork at the adjoining Pear Shed Gallery.
Walk back in time at the Coal Mines Historic Site. Want to stretch your legs further? Head to Lime Bay and follow the tracks to Lagoon Beach.
Have a pre-dinner drink in style at Impression Bay Distillery, settling into century-old chairs originally built for the boardroom at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Then head to Port Arthur for dinner at 1830 Restaurant and Bar.
Brave the dark on a spirited Port Arthur ghost tour.
Dunalley - © Tourism Australia & Rob Burnett
Walk out to Cape Raoul, taking in its lofty views over the Southern Ocean and along the coast to the monster waves of Shipstern Bluff.
Mingle with the free-range wildlife at Tasmanian Devil Unzoo.
In Tasman National Park, pay homage to the rock stars of the coastline at Teralina / Eaglehawk Neck: the Tessellated Pavement, the Blowhole and Tasmans Arch among them.
Toast the trip with a glass of wine and perhaps a meal at Bangor Vineyard Shed.
Credit: Discover Tasmania
4 days on the West Coast
Unearth stories of convict courage, boom-and-bust mining fortunes and ghost towns, and delve into World Heritage wilderness on Tasmania’s west coast.
Day 1: Around Queenstown
Queenstown - © Tourism Australia
Following the Lyell Highway toward Queenstown from the south, stop for the easy 20min return walk to pretty Nelson Falls through mossy forest of sassafras, myrtle and ferns.
The road into Queenstown is full of twists and turns, so take it slowly. Before descending the spectacular 99 Bends into town, marvel at the Iron Blow Lookout and follow the mountainside boardwalk to Horsetail Falls.
Queenstown is home to many of the West Coast’s quirkiest attractions – check out the legendary gravel sports oval – and a range of historically fascinating and friendly places to stay, including Mt Lyell Anchorage and Penghana Bed and Breakfast.
History buffs will revel in the abundance of local stories. Take time to explore the Galley Museum and its eclectic collection of west-coast artefacts, tour the Art Deco Paragon Theatre, or join one of RoamWild’s tours of historic Lake Margaret township and power station – it's a real-life ghost town.
Head to Tracks Cafe for breakfast or lunch, and the Empire Hotel's traditional dining room for dinner.
Day 2: Queenstown to Strahan
West Coast WIlderness Railway - © Tourism Australia
From Queenstown, board the remarkable West Coast Wilderness Railway steam train journey that snakes through the west's rugged wilderness.
Fancy a day jam-packed with wilderness adventures? Combine a steam-rail journey with thrilling white-water rafting and peaceful river drifting with King River Rafting. Expect spectacular landscapes and sightings of wildlife and rare Huon and King Billy pines, some of which are more than 2000 years old.
Take the winding road to Strahan to finish the day’s exploration at harbourside accommodation, where options include boutique Salt Box Hideaways, self-contained Wheelhouse Apartments, and the centrally located Strahan Village.
Day 3: Around Strahan
World Heritage Cruises - © Tourism Australia
Start with a waterfront stroll along Strahan Esplanade, where interpretive signs tell stories of the convicts and pioneers who survived harsh conditions on the remote West Coast.
Cruise across the vast Macquarie Harbour to Hells Gates and into World Heritage-listed wilderness on the serene Gordon River with World Heritage Cruises or Gordon River Cruises.
Join the audience for a performance of The Ship That Never Was, an interactive, family-friendly theatre production based on the true story of a daring convict escape from notorious Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour.
Overnight at Strahan.
Day 4: Strahan to Zeehan
West Coast Heritage Centre - © Tourism Australia
Before leaving town, walk the 40min return track to Hogarth Falls, keeping an eye out for platypus in the creek.
Drive to the historical mining town of Zeehan, stopping en route to walk through the Henty Dunes, a line of dunes, up to 30m high, strung along the coast behind Ocean Beach.
Nicknamed Silver City, Zeehan was once Tasmania's third-largest town. Walk through the Spray Tunnel, a 100m-long abandoned train tunnel that once led to the Spray Silver Mine.
Spend a few hours exploring the West Coast Heritage Centre for a fascinating insight into the area’s industrial and social heritage. This 7ha site incorporates the restored Gaiety Theatre-Grand Hotel, once considered one of Australia’s finest theatres.
Credit: Discover Tasmania
5 days in Tasmania - tasting tour
From Hobart to Launceston taking in the lush Derwent, Coal River and Tamar Valleys, the agricultural midlands and the sunny east coast, this is Tasmania at its tastiest.
Day 1: Hobart to Richmond
The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery & Store - © Stu Gibson
Hugging the shores of the broad River Derwent, Hobart rises into the foothills of Kunanyi / Mt Wellington. It’s a good-looking city, but Hobart is more than skin-deep. This is a foodie town, through and through: think super-fresh seafood in progressive food rooms, paired with cool-climate wines and local gin and whisky.
Fuel up on a city breakfast – try the fare at Peppina – then follow the river upstream for lunch at the Agrarian Kitchen Eatery in New Norfolk. The inspired menu here is unshakably seasonal, sourced from local farmers, fishers and growers.
Further upstream at Ouse (pronounced ‘ooze’, rather deliciously), Lawrenny Estate Distillery occupies a stately heritage homestead on the riverbanks. The single-malt magic here comes courtesy of a ‘paddock-to-bottle’ whisky-making ethos, using barley grown on the 400-acre estate.
After a tasting and a stroll around the grounds, take the scenic backroads east to historic Richmond in the Coal River Valley, home to Australia’s oldest bridge (convict-built in 1825). The wineries around town take a more contemporary approach – try Frogmore Creek. Or continue the whisky theme at Lark Distillery, Tasmania’s oldest, in nearby Pontville.
Quality heritage accommodation abounds in Richmond: book a bed at Prospect House Private Hotel.
Day 2: Richmond to Coles Bay
Honeymoon Bay - © Krista Eppelstun
Start your day with a bite at the Richmond Bakery, before setting off towards Orford, a laidback beach town where the Prosser River meets the sea. Turning north, follow the Great Eastern Drive as the sun climbs over the ocean.
At Little Swanport, stop by Tasman Sea Salt for a ‘salt sommelier’ experience. Tour the innovative clean-energy saltworks, followed by tastings of uniquely Tasmanian sea salts paired with zesty local bites.
With plenty of sun and low rainfall, the wineries along the East Coast Wine Trail produce excellent cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay. Sip your way into some at the architecturally inspiring Devil’s Corner cellar door north of Swansea, with on-site pizza and showstopping views. Inside a convict-built stables nearby, Spring Vale Vineyard puts a different spin on cellar-door architecture.
Further north, turn east towards Coles Bay and visit Freycinet Marine Farm to sample locally harvested oysters and mussels, plus rock lobster, urchin, abalone and scallops. It’s a prime picnic spot – or grab a box and head for the nearby Friendly Beaches.
Coles Bay itself is a cherubic holiday town with accommodation ranging from campsites in the dunes to luxe lodges like Freycinet Lodge or Saffire Freycinet.
Day 3: Coles Bay to Launceston
Devil's Corner Cellar Door - © Tourism Australia
Boot your metabolism out of bed for an early-morning hike to Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park (quick dip, anyone?), then make tracks for the northern midlands via Lake Leake, a rural trout-fishing mecca.
Campbell Town is the first big town you’ll reach – with yet another convict-built bridge (1838) and some handy roadside eateries. Here’s your chance to try a curried scallop pie, Tasmania’s unofficial state dish. It may sound (and look) peculiar, but it’s unbeatable road-trip sustenance.
Tasmania’s second-biggest city is next. In 2021, UNESCO named Launceston an international ‘City of Gastronomy’, one of only 36 such cities worldwide. The accolade acknowledges Launceston’s many excellent cafes, restaurants and markets, as well as northern Tasmania’s integrated wine, agritourism and unique ‘paddock-to-plate’ culture.
Book a table for dinner at Stillwater, inside a reimagined 1830s flour mill on the city riverbanks, then rest your head on-site at Stillwater Seven.
Day 4: Launceston and the Tamar Valley
Waterton Hall Wines - © Tourism Australia
Get your blood pumping with a morning walk through Launceston’s Cataract Gorge – a significant place for Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) people, with craggy dolerite cliffs, walking trails, swim spots, eateries, wandering peacocks and the South Esk River surging through.
Next up, take a cellar-door tour through the Tamar Valley Wine Region, Tasmania’s oldest. Start at Josef Chromy Wines then head north, following the Tamar Valley Wine Trail along the west bank of Kanamaluka / River Tamar. Wineries along the way include Moores Hill Estate, Small Wonder, Tamar Ridge, Waterton Hall Wines and Holm Oak. A lazy lunch at Timbre Kitchen at Velo Wines is never a bad idea.
Back in Launceston, finish up with dinner at a city restaurant – try Black Cow Bistro on for size – then call it a night at the sophisticated Peppers Silo Hotel, an innovative reimagining of a landmark building on the riverbank.
Day 5: Exploring the Tasting Trail
Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm - © Tourism Australia
Enjoy a leisurely Launceston cafe breakfast, then experience the diverse foodie temptations of the Tasting Trail – a gastronomic celebration of cheese, truffles, olives, honey, hazelnuts, cider, salmon, wine, whisky, chocolate…
Heading north west from Launceston, watch the cheesemakers in action at the family-run Ashgrove Dairy Door in Elizabeth Town (happy cows, happy cheesemakers). Launch into some truffle fondue or a deluxe cheese toastie.
If you’ve got the kids in the car (or if you don’t), the Van Diemens Land Creamery, also in Elizabeth Town, is an essential pitstop. Order a scoop of artisan ice cream or gelato, infused with Tasmanian flavours like leatherwood honey, lavender, lemon myrtle and whisky.
Across the road is the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe – a top spot for a locally sourced lunch. Leave room for dessert (raspberries with everything).
Heading south to Deloraine, join the hounds on the hunt for black truffles at the Truffle Farm. Get your hands dirty as you unearth these funky fungi, followed by a tasting and a glass of Tasmanian gin, wine or beer.
Back in Launceston, settle in for a regionally sourced dinner – order the handmade gnocchi at Stelo at Pierre’s – and look back on five flavour-filled days in Tasmania.
Credit: Discover Tasmania
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